Kuro ga Kin'iro ni Naru Toki
by Kerwin
Summary: AU, Naruto manages to bring Sasuke back to the village only Tsunade has to find a way to keep him from leaving for Orochimaru again. Traitors are usually executed, but Godaime finds an alternative. Sasuke will be exiled to...Hogwarts?
1. The Prodigal Son Returns

Title: Kuro ga Kin'iro ni naru Toki  
When Black Becomes Golden

Author: Kerwin  
Fandom(s): Naruto & Harry Potter  
Category: Crossover, Drama, Angst  
Rating: PG13-R or T-M  
Warnings: AU, Crossover

Disclaimer: Naruto and all character names, and likenesses thereof are trademarks of Shonen Jump and Viz and are property of the original author Kishimoto Masashi. Also, Harry Potter and all character names and likenesses thereof are trademarks of Warner Brothers and are the property of the original author J.K. Rowling. Any other original character names, places, or overall storyline/plotlines are property of the author (meaning myself) Kerwin. Thanx for your support!

Summary: AU, Naruto manages to bring Sasuke back to the village; only Tsunade has to find a way to keep him from leaving for Orochimaru again. Traitors are usually executed, but Godaime finds an alternative. Sasuke will be exiled to a place far enough away that he poses no danger to Konohagakure. And being the one who captured him in the first place, Naruto is sent as his keeper. How will the two shinobi fare in this new place, Hogwarts?

IMPORTANT NOTE: In this story Naruto managed to subdue Sasuke at the Valley of End. Kakashi did not return from his mission in time to go after the boys. Plus, Tsunade did not send the Sand siblings to the rescue, but they did show up and help out.

* * *

Chapter I  
The Prodigal Son Returns…Glaring and Mutinous 

The approach to Konoha's North-Eastern gate was marked by an almost tangible release of tension. Naruto slumped a bit under the burden of a restrained and unconscious Sasuke while Shikamaru, under the considerably reduced weight of Chouji, could be heard grumbling under his breath. Not one of the accompanying Genin could be sure if the words were grateful or indifferent, but all knew for certain the amount of trouble involved was well voiced. Naruto was simply relieved by the disruption, in light of the overshadowing silence that seemed a constant companion these past couple days. Shikamaru especially had taken the wounding of their comrades badly. Speaking of, behind the assigned—and self proclaimed—leaders of the pack, preceding Gaara and his siblings, were two suspended flatbeds of sand supporting Neji and Kiba. The injured parties remained comatose as they had been through much of the journey.

Even Lee was unnaturally subdued in the face of the boy who almost destroyed his dream. Gaara may have saved the Taijutsu specialist, but it became clear in the prolonged company of the redhead that some fear and distrust still resided within the gejimayu. Lastly, the sand shinobi, while helpful, proved to be even duller company than a brooding Shikamaru. Naruto was doubly eager to return home; not only would he fulfill his promise to Sakura, but he would also be able to turn his friends over to more capable hands. With these thoughts in mind, the blonde Genin jostled his load a bit higher and walked with renewed vigor--Shikamaru's more voluble complaints bringing nothing more than a vulpine smile to his lips.

xXxXx

The road into Konoha was sparsely populated given the time of day. Most out-of-town market owners, traveling merchants, and visitors made the hectic time-consuming passage into the hidden village during midmorning to escape the heat from the height of the sun. Being late afternoon, as Naruto's transitory team came within twenty yards of the gate there was predictably only one person there to greet them, the entry guard. However, upon seeing the returning shinobi, the guard vanished in a flurry of wind and leaves without as much as a word to the assemblage. Shikamaru assumed, loud enough for the others to hear, that the sentry went to inform Godaime of their return.

"Suppose baa-chan will meet us at the gate?" Naruto questioned with a sideways glance to his laconic companion. Shikamaru shrugged his usual response to circumvent a long, drawn out explanation or answer of any kind.

"I hope Gai-sensei is there!" Lee brightened considerably at the prospect, his eyes gleaming and a fist drawn in front of him. Naruto found his eyes inexplicably drawn to his less than glowing teammates.

"You should hope that your Hokage has the sense to order medics to the gate." Temari pointed out, echoing Naruto's own concern. Shikamaru nodded tersely with a frown of worry over his brow.

xXxXx

By the time their motley group crossed the threshold into the city, a sizable crowd was gathered. Whispers were exchanged and fingers pointed. All of these the returnees ignored in favor of more welcome faces. Ahead of the curious gossip-mongers were the remaining fractions of their assorted teams. The kunoichi watched with expectation, looking to spot their absent team members. Tsunade-sama herself stood haughtily, forward and centered to the opening; close to her right a team of medics awaited their charges. Clearly the guard stationed at the gate noticed some of their number inactive and dutifully informed the Hokage.

'Sakura-chan, I kept my promise.' Naruto thought reverently, but his first words, voiced before anyone could say anything concrete, involved his downed comrades.

"Oi! We need some help here! They're busted up pretty badly!" Naruto motioned with a toss of his head to the two boys being bared gently to the ground by Gaara's sand, and to Chouji who did not look like he'd survived the trip. At Naruto's arrested expression, Shikamaru shook his head in negation and mouthed two words that reassured him.

'He's breathing.'

"You heard him! Take those Genin to the hospital!" Tsunade gestured imperiously with one hand. The medics hastened to do her biding, not one of them dared to refute the necessity of the order.

x

As Kiba, Neji, and Chouji were conveyed through the noisy crowd, Tsunade's piercing gaze alighted on Gaara with interest. One silent look in Shikamaru's direction had the boy sighing as if bothered to clarify the foreign presence. Tsunade glared threateningly in displeasure.

"Alright, alright, they crossed our path in their own travels and facilitated the completion of the mission." Shikamaru grumbled. Annoyance was predominant on his face and a tension hung about him as if he did not want to be there any longer.

"Why don't you just say they helped us?" Naruto cried out, aggravated by the complicated choice of wording. Shikamaru simply turned a dark frown on Temari, who was smirking.

"Then I suppose our village owes you thanks." Tsunade declared with a raised brow to the sand siblings who in turn gave nods of acknowledgement. "You are welcome to refresh yourselves overnight but I would not encourage an extended stay given the strain between our renewed alliances." Tsunade's lips were pressed thinly together as she regarded the silent party.

"No. We leave immediately." Gaara verbalized in his familiar abrupt monotone. Naruto found Gaara's eyes locked on his and gave a nod of thanks. Gaara blinked, and without another word to anyone, he turned to leave. Kankurou huffed at the rushed departure and Temari tossed a wink Shikamaru's way before all the Konoha shinobi and villagers could see were their backs fading into the forest.

x

"Shikamaru, you will meet me in my office later this evening to relay your report. For now, go check on your team." Tsunade ordered. Some of the stiffness left Shikamaru's frame and Naruto remembered belatedly that Chouji was Shikamaru's best friend. "Naruto," the blonde's gaze strayed to his village leader, "Bring Sasuke and follow me." There was no option to deny, it was not a request. As the retrieval party slowly broke up, so did the crowed. Naruto could do little but nod and smile reassuringly at Sakura as he passed. The kunoichi watched him leave briefly before concentrating on Lee who was the only one left to describe what happened. Sakura knew better than to embrace either of her teammates; Sasuke had done something seriously wrong.

* * *

Naruto stood nervously outside of Tsunade's office. There was a meeting being held inside that he was unfortunately not invited to. That did not stop the blonde from listening in as best he could. He did not have to strain too much given the door stood a hairs-breadth open from when Sasuke was forcibly led inside by two other ninja. 

"Uchiha Sasuke," said an old graveled voice, undoubtedly one of the elders, "You have been charged with assault, consorting with a known enemy, reckless endangerment, and treason. What have you to say in relation to these charges?" As much as Naruto listened, silence reigned within.

"I hope you realize how closely you escaped a fate worse than this? If not for being forcibly brought before us you would have been hunted by ANBU and dealt with accordingly." Tsunade pointed out ominously. Naruto could only discern an indifferent grunt.

"Insolence! Have you no shame or remorse for what you have done?" An unsteady voice cried out angrily.

"You've forced my hand; I have only one option left to me…"

"If Hokage-sama wasn't so benevolent you would suffer…" the scathing voice cut off as if gestured to do so. Naruto confirmed it when Godaime continued. And Tsunade could only be Godaime in Naruto's mind when she used that authoritative voice to sentence his fallen comrade.

"Because you actually failed to reach the missing-nin Orocimaru I will be lenient with your punishment. To the degree you will not be executed on the spot as is customary in cases of treason." Tsunade elaborated harshly. Naruto wondered just what expression was on Sasuke's face at that moment but decided it was probably as impassive as ever. "You will be forbidden to activate the seal with consequence of death should you do so. You will not be stripped of your rank but you are hereby on probation. Any manipulation of your chakra is to be well monitored and commence only after you have received permission. Furthermore, you will be temporarily exiled for an indeterminate amount of time." At this proclamation Naruto heard something that sounded suspiciously like a splutter. "You will have an escort who will ensure your cooperation with these provisions." Sasuke must have made some kind of foul sound or face because Tsunade's voice became that much more unforgiving. "I am going to send you so far away that it will be impossible for you to attempt this travesty again. We will deal with Orochimaru, and you…you will have to prove your loyalty or face life as a civilian prisoner. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

"Crystal." Sasuke's tone was glacial in return.

x

"Restrain Uchiha downstairs until I can arrange passage for him and his keeper. Izumo, Kotetsu, one of you go to the Uchiha residence and pack his supplies, anything you deem necessary for the duration of approximately a year." Tsunade ordered curtly.

"And his weapons?" the shinobi special trailed off.

"Bring them to me. I will entrust them to his escort." And then Naruto was backing away from the door because Sasuke was being lead away between two guards and Izumo was headed to fulfill Tsunade's bidding. For a brief moment their eyes met and Naruto found himself on the receiving end of Sasuke's hateful glare. Naruto looked away; an illogical feeling of guilt welled up within his chest. And then the pale Uchiha was passed, closely followed by the village elders who weren't beneath sneering coldly at Naruto, despite his accomplishments.

"Naruto, come into my office!" Tsunade called from within. Naruto avoided the displeasured looks sent his way as he slipped into the room after the last elder had gone.

* * *

"Oi, Naruto!" Naruto turned as a voice, easily recognized, called into his abode. The door was wide open, affording Naruto a view of Shikamaru lounging comfortably against the frame. 

"Un." Naruto turned his back to resume packing an overlarge duffle-bag even as he acknowledged the other boy. Naruto's lack of attention prevented him from noticing Shikamaru's annoyed eye-roll.

"Chouji, Neji, and Kiba were all sent to the hospital while you and Sasuke disappeared into Hokage-sama's office. The evidence suggests something's up." Naruto glanced over his shoulder to catch Shikamaru's nod toward his bags. The blonde Genin looked back to his possessions, staring a moment in quiet contemplation. The sheer lack of response combined with Naruto's unnatural seriousness alerted Shikamaru to the significance of the other's actions.

"It's Sasuke, isn't it?" Shikamaru questioned with his customary insight. Naruto's brows furrowed deeply. Then his face turned away as he reached for a white clothed bundle Shikamaru recognized as a traveling kit for kunai. The indolent shinobi also recognized the red and white symbol embroidered into the cloth as that of the Uchiha clan.

"Ano, Shikamaru, how are they?" There was no need to clarify who Naruto was asking about. By tacit agreement Shikamaru did not point out the abrupt change in topic or the suspicious lack of an answer to his previous inquiry. Naruto's silence was confirmation in itself.

"Kiba will be all right; while his injuries are severe they aren't nearly as worrisome as Neji's or Chouji's. Neji has been stabilized, but Chouji is still in critical condition. The pills he used are damaging his chakra channels as well as his automatic physiological processes;" at Naruto's perplexed expression the Chuunin clarified, "His unconscious life systems, such as his heart beat and breathing are shutting down from the rapid weight loss."

"You shouldn't worry too much; Tsunade no baa-chan will put him right." Naruto nodded confidently at his own words. "She was actually headed that way last I saw her." The blonde added absently. Naruto's reassurances weren't acknowledged out loud though inwardly Shikamaru took heart from Naruto's certainty.

x

The dark haired boy remained in the doorway regarding Naruto's motions with a disciplined eye for detail.

"I guess I won't be seeing you around." Shikamaru commented at length. Naruto zipped up his bag with such finality Shikamaru felt a chill creep along his spine. Without his mind fully engaged, the

lazy genius reached out and grasped Naruto by the arm.

"You aren't in trouble because of Sasuke, are you?" Shikamaru couldn't explain what prompted the near panicked concern, but for Naruto's continued unusual behavior. All Shikamaru could think about were the looks of hatred that seemed to follow Naruto wherever the blonde happened to tread. In turn, Naruto met Shikamaru's gaze with one of understanding and slowly shook his head so there would be no mistaking the truth in the motion.

"I'm not being blamed for Sasuke running away. And I'm not being punished for bringing him back. Godaime gave me another mission, I'm sorry I can't say more."

x

Shikamaru held the stare a full minute longer until he saw what he was searching for in the blue-eyed boy. Naruto, for his part, maintained eye-contact and remained silent.

"Good luck. When you get back we'll go out for Korean Barbecue with Chouji." Neither of them contemplated the possibility that Naruto would not return or the odds that Chouji would not be there when he did. Shikamaru held out a hand. Naruto accepted the Chuunin's parting gesture and offered a relatively subdued but genuine smile in return.

"That'll be great, oyabun. And by the time I return I'll be ready to surpass even you!" Naruto challenged, a more familiar grin spreading across his face. Shikamaru was just thankful Naruto was acting more like his old self. With a shake of his head and a mutter of how troublesome Naruto's return would be, Shikamaru walked away. Naruto watched the other boy's retreating back; catching sight of Shikamaru's raised hand in farewell.

"I guess that's that." Naruto mused before grabbing his well packed bags, shutting the door, and turning the lock with his key. "Yosh! On to the mission!"


	2. An Introduction Begrudgingly Given

Chapter II  
An Introduction…Begrudgingly Given

---Hogsmead---

Severus was agitated, down right furious would be a better summation, but who quibbles over semantics these days? Not only was he the much coveted spy for the Order, but apparently Albus's personal lapdog as well. The Potions Professor snarled, scaring several unwitting passers-by in the process and perversely deriving pleasure from illustrating the canine image. Intellectually, he could accept that the Order was swamped with assignments but egotistically he couldn't help but feel a little persecuted.

Shacklebolt was currently at the Ministry stirring up all kinds of misleads. The auror didn't have the time to go gallivanting all across wizarding Britain, as Albus seemed to think Severus did. Tonks was out on watch, along with that miscreant thief Fletcher. And, Mad-eye was not someone Albus felt children should be subjected to on their first foray into a new and unfamiliar country. Severus scoffed at the implication he was any better.

Lupin would have been a prime choice but for the unfortunate, and rather unaccommodating—in Severus' opinion—cycle of nature. The werewolf was currently nestled in a bed somewhere sleeping off the uncomfortable vestiges of the night before. Severus envied him the luxury. Of course, that left the head of the Weasley clan who Severus detested but felt was an appropriate substitute just the same. The Headmaster nixed that suggestion on the grounds that Arthur was not a representative of the school.

"Besides, Severus" Albus had pointed out in that irritatingly condescending tone of his, "While conveniently at the Ministry, where our new charges will arrive, Arthur will not have the opportunity to leave work until rather late. I would not ask for our guests to wait around when they will most probably be exhausted from their trip. That is why I have asked you Severus," and there was a certain emphasis on his given name, "to kindly welcome them at the Ministry and guide them to Tom's inn."

x

Severus resented the way Albus twisted the situation to make it appear as if he was refusing to perform some small request. As if leading a couple of teenagers anywhere wasn't a chore in itself, and these teenagers were also foreigners at that. How was he expected to communicate? Albus had forbid him from casting a temporary translation charm on the visitors or himself; and the comprehension-charmed earrings Filius was working on would not be ready for another few days. A scowling Snape soon found himself standing in front of the Three Broomsticks from where he would floo into the British Ministry of Magic. If there was anything Severus detested more than that dratted Potter boy it was traveling by floo. As he entered the pub Severus' countenance darkened considerably, not exactly a welcoming sign to the arriving foreigners.

* * *

---Konohagakure: Two hours before Shikamaru and Naruto's meeting--- 

Naruto carefully edged into the room, watching Tsunade like a hawk sighting down a mouse. Not that he was the predator here, Tsunade no Baa-chan could stake claims on that role twice over. No, Naruto was simply hyper aware of her every move. At the moment she sat behind old Sarutobi's heavy desk with her head rested on raised, intertwined fingers, staring directly at him. The blonde had reasons to be cautious, after all, he wasn't quite sure why she called him into her office. Shikamaru was the highest ranked ninja and the appointed leader of the group, therefore, the duty fell on him to give the detailed mission report.

Then again, Shikamaru was unaware of what resided inside of Naruto's stomach. Tsunade had to have a pretty clear idea of exactly how Naruto managed to subdue a curse-obsessed Sasuke hell-bent on attaining more power. That thought alone brought a chilling sensation to Naruto's spine. Was he in line for his own "punishment"? Only, Naruto had startlingly frequent nightmares about his own execution and he wouldn't discount Tsunade from ordering it if Kyuubi posed any danger to Konoha. Her position as Godaime demanded it. Naruto could even find a part of himself that would respect her for it too.

"Naruto, you heard?" Tsunade's clipped voice broke Naruto from the thoughts circling his head. The blonde processed the question then quickly feigned innocence.

"Heard what?"

"That clueless act may work against that perverted toad hermit, that genius brat, and your fellow Genin, but I don't buy it. I know very well you were listening outside the door. Your very personality demands it." Instead of the familiar grumbling-amusement on the last comment, Tsunade's tone remained flatly humorless throughout. Naruto could tell she was in no mood for his usual antics, so he nodded soberly.

"You're sending Sasuke away." Naruto reiterated, not allowing any emotion to cloud his serious expression. He really couldn't distinguish how he felt about the whole situation to begin with. Everything up until this point, from the moment he'd left Konoha to track down his almost-brother to standing here in front of the Godaime, had happened like a tidal wave. He was forced to keep his head above water or be drowned. Naruto really hadn't had the chance to sit back and analyzed what he thought, let alone felt, about any of it.

"That's correct. I will be placing him, along with his escort, in the hands of a trusted friend." Tsunade fell silent, calmly watching Naruto for any reaction. The blonde stared back blankly; Naruto knew obaa-chan was waiting for something but he wasn't sure what that something was.

"I've decided you will accompany him." Naruto simply stared for a lengthy five seconds before he burst out suddenly.

"What!"

"Your mission is to keep," Tsunade stubbornly continued over Naruto's stuttering appeals to wait, "Sasuke from deserting again. Also, you will be charged with restricting and monitoring his use of chakra. You will be his shadow. If he activates his seal for any purpose other than the protection of allies or the protection of his own life against our common enemy," Naruto was still spluttering incoherently, "You have the responsibility to execute him on the spot."

x

Silence reigned for an unhealthy ten minutes after Tsunade's assignment instructions. Naruto couldn't bring himself to speak; his mouth opened and closed several times in aborted attempts to form words. Kill Sasuke? How could she ask him to take on that kind of burden? Sasuke was his best friend, nearly his own brother! They went to the academy together, spent a whole year training together as Genin, they even ate together occasionally. Of course they fought a great deal, and hell, the bastard could really benefit from anal surgery to remove that stick permanently stuck up his ass, but that didn't mean he had no compunction about murdering him.

"Why? Why not send a Jounin?" It was as close as he could come to asking the real, underlying questions plaguing his mind. Tsunade's eyes saw through him.

"I need all of my Jounin here. Konoha is still weak and there are hardly enough ninja to fulfill all the missions. Sasuke is one Genin, and a traitor. The Uchiha name is not nearly as acclaimed as it once was and no one wants two Itachis running around. Many would rather have his execution than waste precious resources to baby-sit him. I do not know how long it will take us to track down and defeat Orochimaru, but I cannot have even one of my battle-ready ninja out of commission for as long as it takes. You have proven that you can handle Sasuke; therefore he will be remanded into your custody."

x

Tsunade did not show any sign that her own words bothered her, but Naruto was reminded that Orochimaru was once Tsunade's teammate, if not her friend. She had to know, could even be experiencing right now, the thoughts and feelings roiling within him, and she was dealing with an eventuality. Orochimaru would have to be killed; Tsunade and Jiraiya would have to do it. Naruto could not bring himself to refuse; he was Sasuke's last hope. Tsunade said her self, the elders and Lords would have preferred a swift execution. Naruto shivered, it seemed he and Sasuke were in the same tree when it came to the upper echelon of Konoha society, and that tree was beginning to rot from within.

"I understand, Hokage-sama." Naruto meet Tsunade's saddened eyes with ones filled with determination.

"Good, I have someone to speak to before I can formally issue the mission."

x

Precisely at that moment flames burst to life behind the grating of Tsunade's fireplace. When Naruto's gaze flickered over, a hand poised above his kunai pouch, he was most startled to see a face floating within. If it weren't for Tsunade's complete lack of surprise and almost bland greeting, Naruto would have let fly with the small arsenal on his person.

"Albus, prompt as ever I see." Tsunade called toward the fire, tone nonchalant. Naruto allowed his hand to fall back to his side but his muscles remained tensed for action.

"Your message sounded urgent, Tsunade." Albus rejoined. What Naruto could make out was a wrinkled old man who looked unexpectedly older than the late Sandaime with bushy white hair and beard, rounded lake-blue eyes that glittered with intelligence, and moon-shaped spectacles. There was not enough of the man inside the fireplace to speculate on clothing or the like but Naruto had the distinct impression he wasn't from any of the surrounding countries. Albus' bone structure alone and the shape of his eyes were strikingly different from any Naruto had ever seen before, not that he was at all well-traveled.

"I'd like to request that you take two Genin into your school." Tsunade's words brought Naruto's attention to bear on her. Clearly, this was the friend Godaime mentioned earlier, the one who would take them in.

"Oh? That's splendid…" Albus began enthusiastically. Naruto could see a certain shine appear in the old man's eyes as if he'd been offered a special treat.

"Just this once Albus, as a favor to me," Tsunade cut in before the man could get carried away, "It won't ever happen again." Tsunade promised with an edge to her voice. Naruto noted, simply out of habit, how the spark seemed to dim in Albus' eyes.

"I don't think I'm following you Tsunade-hime." The sudden use of a suffix was also not lost on Naruto. It appeared the old man was also capable of picking up on the nuances in Tsunade's tone. Her last statement was said not as Tsunade, old friend, but as Godaime, leader of Konohagakure. Naruto felt like the judge of a ninjutsu fight, his head turning from face to face gauging expressions and words as the combatants sized each other up.

"As Sarutobi told you before, and I will tell you again…though I'm sure I'm wasting my breath," Naruto caught the muttered words and by the way Albus smiled brightly, so had he, "I do not think it wise to mix our magic on a regular basis. We've explained numerous times. You initiate your students at an age when our own children are on the verge of adulthood. They cannot afford to lose such a great amount of training years, especially at—what I believe to be—the most critical formative period in their development as shinobi. This is an age when they begin to learn the true value of teamwork, discover their own dreams and ways of the ninja," Naruto caught Tsunade glancing at him when she spoke, "and also learn the price of choosing this path," Naruto thought of Haku who died because he chose to protect someone precious to him rather than live to be something useless, "I'm sorry if this alters your willingness to endorse my request." Tsunade's tone was clipped and incontrovertible.

"Oh no, of course not, my fascination remains. It is my hope that this experience changes your perception of the negative affects to your children; I can only see positive influences to both sides." Albus' eyes twinkled more than Naruto had seen before. Tsunade groused about hope springing eternal in senile old men. "Yes, we've lived long enough that patience has become habit, and we know good things come in time." Albus wasn't the least offended and Naruto found himself admiring the amiable old man. "However," Albus' face took a turn to the serious and Tsunade's did likewise, "I would like to ask; why now? Why these two?" Albus' eyes flickered to Naruto; the first sign of acknowledgement from either adult that there was a child in their midst. Naruto suddenly realized he'd completely relaxed without conscious thought while this old man remained aware of his presence the whole time. This Albus character was definitely someone to keep his eye on. Naruto mentally kicked himself for letting his guard drop and took a mental note to be wary of the old man.

x

Tsunade noticed Albus' gaze turn from her unto Naruto, but she did not grant it the attention Albus obviously wanted her to. The old man had probably noted the distinct lack of introduction from the start and simply followed her lead. Now that they were reaching the central issues of her request, Albus wanted information on the conspicuous presence. Tsunade stubbornly continued in her vein of conversation.

"One of my subordinate's underlings has made a grave error in judgment. He violated a number of our laws and faces a death sentence unless I can devise a convenient alternative. I've chosen a paroled exile at Hogwarts. It will keep him from making another mistake while we, that is to say the ninja of Konoha, deal with the source of his misguidance."

"You are suggesting Hogwarts serve as a prison." Albus formed it as a statement, confident he was not misinterpreting her words. Not that there wasn't plenty of room for misunderstanding, Albus was fluent in nearly every language known to man and some that weren't. However, Japanese was not the most complicated language he'd ever mastered; mermish had a nice running going for it. He always found the languages made up of mostly unorganized sounds the hardest to learn, and those rarely had any sort of script to go with them. Japanese was a phonetic language with a very complicated writing system to make up for its simplicity in dialogue. Albus could only be grateful he was having an interview as opposed to receiving another letter. Some of the Kanji was difficult to decipher without the aid of a translation charm.

"Yes." Tsunade affirmed unnecessarily.

"Then I must ask, as an educator responsible for the wellbeing of his students, will this boy be a danger to others?" The smile was gone, replaced with an expression of concern. Naruto stood back on his heels and watched, preternaturally aware this conversation was important to Sasuke's case. If the old man determined Sasuke to be a threat it was unlikely he would allow them within this Hogwarts place. From what Naruto gathered, it was some sort of academy. Anyway, Tsunade seemed to be prepared for this question because she motioned to the blonde. Naruto suddenly found himself as the center of attention, a position he usually coveted but in which he now felt uncomfortable.

"This is Naruto. He will ensure the safety of your students as well as his charge," Albus inclined his head, to which Naruto bowed shortly, "He will report directly to me by weekly letters; should you have any concerns they will be duly relayed." Tsunade's expression clearly threatened an 'or else' if he failed to do so; Naruto swallowed with some difficulty. A comfortable silence followed in which Albus observed the blonde with an open curiosity Naruto found most embarrassing. Undoubtedly the old man was wondering how Naruto was supposed to exert control over his peer; Naruto honestly wondered the same thing.

"Ano, baa-," Naruto faltered in the presence of the foreign man and modified his appellation, "Hokage-sama, how am I supposed to treat Sasuke? I mean…" Naruto glanced toward the politely silent guest who appeared to be eating something at the moment. Tsunade did not need to hear anything else, she understood his concerns.

"The rules will be laid out for him before your departure and I will make sure he is aware what role you will play. Don't treat him any differently then you would normally, unless he does something that requires your interference. You've already been informed of his limitations, inadvertently, which are also listed in your scripted briefing," Tsunade lifted a mission scroll from her desk which Naruto stepped forward to retrieve; "Anything else you may want to know will have to be answered by him." Naruto looked over to the indicated man still floating bodiless in the fireplace.

"Oyaji?" Naruto was still standing close enough for Tsunade to cuff him on the back of his head for the disrespect. Albus laughed as Naruto cried out in offense and rubbed at his perceived injury.

"I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You can call me Professor Dumbledore, or if you'd be more comfortable, Dumbledore-sensei." Dumbledore offered kindly, supplying his name and title in English.

"Pu-ro-fe-so-ru Dum-bu-ru-do-a?" Naruto mimicked slowly, looking to Dumbledore for criticism on his pronunciation. The old man's eyes continued to glitter like blue sapphires as he smiled and nodded graciously.

"You'll find things easier when you arrive. Professor Flitwick, our charms teacher, is preparing enchanted earrings for you both to wear. With them you will understand and be able to speak our language fluently."

"Will you be there to greet them?" Tsunade questioned distractedly, already her eyes were straying to sections of paperwork strewing her desk. Naruto could feel the meeting coming to an end.

"Ano sa, Ano sa Dumburudoa-sensei! How are we going to get to Haguwaatsu?" Naruto interrupted before he lost his chance to inquire.

"That is a question best explained by Tsunade-hime, Naruto-kun. As for being there to greet you, I'm afraid I won't be able to," Dumbledore's face looked appropriately apologetic, "However, I will be sending someone as a representative of the school. He will take you where you need to go. I look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts, Naruto-kun." Naruto correctly interpreted that as an indication Dumbledore was preparing to leave…disappear…whatever. The blonde grinned and waved even as Tsunade blindly lifted her hand and called out a farewell. The next moment, in the time it took to blink really, the flames were crackling merrily but the floating head was gone.

x

Naruto turned to Tsunade, prepared to repeat his question when a knock sounded at the door. Tsunade huffed in annoyance but called out permission to enter just the same. The door opened to admit Izumo with a bag slung on one arm and Sasuke's shoulder gripped with his free hand. The Uchiha looked sullen but when his eyes tracked Naruto in the room they flared with anger and resentment. Naruto almost flinched before righteous anger quelled it; he glared right back. This time it was the dark-haired boy's turn to look away, albeit without compunction.

"Naruto, go pack your bags, and return here once you've finished," when Naruto headed to the door Tsunade added, "Take Sasuke's weapons before you go." The by-play between the two rivals was not lost on the old woman. Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction at the order and became incensed when Izumo handed his assorted weapons to the blonde without a word. Then Naruto was leaving and Tsunade was undoubtedly giving Sasuke a very different sort of briefing than the one the blonde had received. The reflection brought Naruto's own assignment to mind, and without his knowledge the smile slipped from his face.

* * *

---Konohagakure: After Naruto's discussion with Shikamaru---

Naruto quickly made his way to Tsunade's office, passing by Ichiraku Ramen with only a yearning glance. While he definitely wouldn't be averse to a large bowl of his favorite comfort food, he wished even more to see the other Genin before he left. Naruto disliked the idea that his last memory of them would be of desperate fighting and nearly dead bodies being delivered by sand. The whole situation made his adrenaline pump and created a desire in him to hit something, preferably a dark-haired sharingan-bearing bastard. Naruto was becoming so worked up over his own thoughts that he barreled right into a flak-vested chest.

"Whoa, Naruto! Where are you off to?" a familiar voice questioned even as an arm settled behind Naruto to steady him. Naruto was on the verge of a scathing retort when he realized another someone he wanted to see before he left.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted and wrapped his arms around his teacher's waist. He didn't commonly hug the man upon greetings, but Naruto wasn't sure when he might ever have another chance. The Chuunin was suitably surprised but added a little pressure to turn the one-sided affection into a reciprocal embrace. When Naruto backed away Iruka regarded him with some concern.

"Is everything all right Naruto-kun? I thought everyone was doing well."

"WHAT? I thought things weren't that serious anymore! What have you been hearing Iruka-sensei?" Naruto demanded, nearly hyperventilating with his concern. Surely Shikamaru wouldn't lie about something so important, even if it were to spare Naruto's feelings. Immediately Naruto dismissed the notion; Shikamaru was too lazy to make up stories, and Naruto couldn't recall the Chuunin ever being anything but straight with him.

x

Iruka eyed the blonde uncomprehendingly until the rushed words resembled some sort of sense in relation to the question he'd posed. The Chuunin rubbed the back of his neck as he felt the beginnings of a tension headache behind his eyes. Iruka often found himself counting his blessings that Naruto was now a Genin, and therefore someone else's responsibility. Spending time with the blonde firecracker was entertaining on short occasions but could quickly become a tiring affair with prolonged exposure. Naruto's reaction to Iruka's innocent question was proof positive the boy was high strung today, and Iruka had best watch his words.

"If it isn't them, why were you so affectionate just now?" Iruka questioned calmly, "I'd thought we lost someone unexpectedly."

x

Naruto paused, was Iruka-sensei saying everyone was ok? He must be, Naruto determined and felt the sigh of relief leave his body a little less tense. He didn't know how he was going to leave Konoha without seeing his team healthy and whole once more. Tsunade-baachan mentioned something about sending reports; perhaps she would be willing to send him updates while he was away.

"Naruto?" Iruka called softly, breaking the blonde from his musings.

"Eh, Iruka-sensei?" The Chuunin gave Naruto an aggrieved expression, and the twitching vein in his temple was not lost on the blonde. Naruto was often subject to the outbursts which followed such signs. "Naa, Iruka-sensei, I don't have time for you to lecture me," Naruto deftly evaded the scolding with the only thing the teacher would find more important than chewing him out, "I have a mission." Instead of backing down, the bushel-haired Chuunin frowned and prevented Naruto from darting off.

"What mission? You just got back! As a Genin you should be allowed a few days rest." Iruka's tone was indignant on Naruto's behalf.

"I can't tell anyone and Baa-chan told me to hurry, Iruka-sensei." Naruto darted in for another hug, to Iruka's immense bewilderment. "I'll miss you Iruka-sensei!" Before Iruka could question his farewell, Naruto slipped from his grasp and raced for Hokage Tower without a backward glance. The Chuunin was left standing bereft of his energetic student and wondering just what sort of mission Godaime issued on the tail end of Sasuke-kun's retrieval.

xXxXx

When Naruto entered the office of Godaime a second time that same evening he was greeted with a surly Uchiha. The glare full of hatred tossed over his shoulder clued Naruto in. Clearly Tsunade found sparing Sasuke's feelings during the briefing a misuse of the small bit of compassion within her; that was conserved for those she felt deserved it. Essentially, Sasuke was being sent away like a chastised child and Naruto was to serve as his nanny. Tsunade reinforced this perception as she barely looked up to acknowledge Naruto's entrance. Her focus was distinctly directed to the briefs littering her desk and judging by the occasional scathing glance aimed at the dark-haired youth, not a few were resultant of Sasuke's escapade. For his part, the Uchiha sat in a chair facing the Hokage. Positioned at the glowering boy's feet was the loaded pack Izumo delivered prior to the mission orders, the contents within unrevealed to the defector. Naruto stayed barely beyond the threshold shifting his weight from foot to foot; he cleared his throat nervously. Tsunade's gaze locked with stonewashed blue, and the documents were set aside with emphasis.

"Naruto," the addressed blonde nodded unsurely, "Sit." Tsunade gestured to an empty chair beside the one Sasuke was seated in. Naruto edged forward, consciously avoiding his former teammate's sweltering glare, and obediently occupied the chair.

x

Tsunade looked from one Genin to the other. She marveled at their clashing personalities that in some bazaar, unexplainable way seemed to fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. She was under no illusion that the resulting picture wasn't flawed. There were, of course, several pieces missing; some torn away years before now, others suffering water damage or similar wear and tear. The holes left in the dizzying picture of their lives was what allowed the darkness to seep in. But, what Uchiha lacked in sociability and restraint, Naruto more than made up for with friendly exuberance. She was convinced Naruto could positively influence Uchiha Sasuke. If the blonde failed, there would be no hope left for the young avenger. As Tsunade intently studied the inheritor of the Sharingan, her mind replayed the last half-hour in her mind.

* * *

---Konohagakure: Sasuke's Briefing---

Izumo excused himself on the tail end of Naruto's departure and gently closed the door behind him. Tsunade took her first long look at the Uchiha heir since his return. She hadn't allowed herself more than cursory or scornful glances during his sentencing. She could honestly say he looked like hell. No amount of indifference could cover up the paleness of the boy's skin or the dark shadows under his eyes. He was clearly favoring his left arm and there were undoubtedly a number of wounds beneath his clothing. Then again, as long as he wasn't dropping unconscious she felt no concern; she was certain whatever Naruto suffered was worse.

"Sit." Tsunade ordered; her voice was unequivocally cold. The Uchiha prodigy did as he was told but made his displeasure known with his contemptuous expression and furious eyes. Not that she cared for either. Tsunade felt it was high time the boy understood there were limits to his behavior, and not even his name or bloodline could persuade her to overlook his latest flouting of Konoha laws. She said as much.

x

Sasuke let out a sound of derision in reply. Tsunade could see no fear or regret in the pools of pitch staring balefully back at her. This was a soul bereft of life beyond carrying out its self-appointed mission, revenge. Perhaps Sarutobi was negligent after the fateful Uchiha massacre; even Tsunade could have predicted the detrimental affects the disaster would have had on a small child. The Uchiha prodigy was anything but, Tsunade could only see an irrevocably traumatized boy who resembled nothing more than a wraith; a dark specter seeking that which he's lost.

"Killing him will not bring them back." Tsunade imparted as her opening gambit. Uchiha's eyes flashed dangerously and Tsunade did not overlook the tightly clenched muscles in his jaw. Yes, she could see how easy it must have been for Orochimaru to manipulate the boy. While the people of Konoha were rejoicing in their hard won peace, a young Uchiha Sasuke pushed himself to become stronger in order to exact retribution. His push for power was now consuming him; Orochimaru had always been a conniving bastard. The villagers failed to notice, or chose not to see beyond the number one rookie to the shattered child within. It was easy for others to forget the tragedy as they spent cozy nights tucking in their children and huddled against their lovers, they did not have to walk the graveyard that was the Uchiha compound. And it was their sympathy, their pity even, when faced with the sole survivor that allowed Uchiha Sasuke to become what sat before her. Tsunade shook her head. They were taking a vested interest now; she barely managed to thwart a death sentence. Uchiha's disloyal conduct served to remind them of Itachi; they hardly desired a repeat performance by the younger brother.

"He is no longer your concern. You will leave Itachi to the Anbu and hunter-nins." Tsunade continued as if half the conversation had passed between them in silence. At the mention of his brother's name, Uchiha leapt to his feet, fists clenched and shaking with suppressed rage at his sides.

"You don't know anything. No one can kill him but me." Uchiha hissed with his eyes narrowed into thin slits of fury. Tsunade regarded the boy blandly before retrieving a tied scroll from her desk, the second briefing.

"If you thought you could beat Itachi you would not have sought out Orochimaru." Uchiha controlled the flinch expertly but Tsunade caught the flicker of emotion in deadened eyes. She felt the reaction a good indication of Uchiha's future rehabilitation. If he could feel even a modicum of guilt or shame then he was not completely lost to them. "Besides, I've already told you of your exile. Where you are going, there will be no Orochimaru, no Itachi, and no way to get to either of them. Now sit down and control yourself." Tsunade passed over the scripted mission after Uchiha settled. She allowed the boy moments to digest the contents before inquiring if all was clear.

"Naruto," Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the muttered name, "He is to travel with me?"

"He will be your guard and keeper. You must go through him before performing any such action as stipulated in your briefing. Naruto will be your shadow…and your executioner should you fail to abide by them." Tsunade did not spare the details; they were made abundantly clear on purpose. Uchiha scowled at the wall over her shoulder. Tsunade returned to her various emissary documents, several of which concerned the latest upset; she almost spit fire through her eyes at Uchiha. Silence reigned until Naruto re-entered.

* * *

---Konohagakure: In Tsunade's Office--- 

Tok, tok. Tsunade tore her blank gaze from a fuming Uchiha and fidgeting Naruto as her mind snapped back to the present. Good, he was on time for once; she called out permission to enter. The door opened to admit a familiar masked Jounin with floppy silver hair and a hitai-ate skewed over his left eye. Kakashi offered a small wave and his traditional greeting.

"Yo."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto cried out incredulously. "What are you doing here?" The energetic blonde bounded from his chair to stand closer to his Genin team commander. Tsunade noted Uchiha's disinterested regard for Kakashi; the Uchiha did not bother to get up.

"Well, I'm supposed to transport you to the Ministry." Kakashi informed Naruto, his visible eye turned up in a happy crescent.

"Obaa-chan, what's he talking about?" Naruto turned to question. With his back turned, Naruto failed to see Kakashi's face fall or the pained stare he directed at Sasuke. Tsunade knew what the man was thinking, that he'd failed his students, and he was partly right. Kakashi should never have broken up the team like he did to train Uchiha separately. The bond of the team was possibly the only thing that held Uchiha back from Orochimaru and when that connection was weakened even slightly the results were catastrophic. "Obaa-chan?" Naruto whined piteously. Tsunade frowned at the disrespectful address but shrugged it off to answer his question.

"Kakashi will take you to the Magic Ministry of Asia from where you will apparate to the British Ministry of Magic. When you reach your destination there will be someone there to guide you elsewhere until term starts. Albus has assured me all the preparations are complete." Tsunade could see Uchiha paying rapt attention though his expression bore no indication. "So, if you two are packed and ready, and all is said which needs to be heard, be on your way." Tsunade did not have to repeat, Naruto was bouncing excitedly next to Kakashi and Uchiha wordlessly took up his bag to join them. The last Tsunade saw of them was Naruto waving vigorously, Kakashi offering a salute, and Uchiha frowning darkly. Then there only remained wisps of grey smoke and an empty aching in her heart; she would miss the loudmouthed blonde.

* * *

---Ministry of Magic, London---

Severus was expelled from the grate in the Ministry of Magic disheveled and a bit dusty from Rosmerta's fireplace. He barely retained his footing on the heavily polished dark-wood floor and moved out of the way before another man went tumbling from the grate without the same luck. Severus sneered at the incompetent wizard lying entangled in his own limbs and stepped around him. A glance at a large clock above the floo network confirmed that the Apparition Arrivals from Asia, labeled on a black hand—one of many—was "on time" and due to arrive at nine am precisely. Severus smoothed out his robes and strode quickly to the security desk to have his wand inspected and a visitor's id issued.

x

All the while his wand was being examined Severus muttered under his breath, the focus, ridiculous Ministry regulations. He would've preferred to apparate except visitors needed to notify the Ministry within a minimum of five hours prior to arrival. Albus failed to inform him in due time, which Severus fully suspected was no coincidence, hence the abhorred method of travel. Though Severus had to allow that even if he'd given the due notification he still would not have been guaranteed a spot if one was unavailable. The clear-cut facts were foreign dignitaries and visitors from longer distances were given preference. Severus retrieved his wand as it was offered to him and strode to the golden grilled lifts. Inside he was joined by two others, a woman dictating to a quick-quotes-quill as she perused the Daily Prophet, and a man carrying a tattered briefcase that jumped at odd times. Ever present was also a flurry of inter-level memos. Severus sneered at the flapping paper wondering who needed so much gossip so early in the workday.

x

The lift doors opened on each successive floor, testing Severus' patience as papers zoomed about and wizards or witches occupied the small space with him. It was a relief when he reached his floor, level six, Department of Magical Transport. The Apparation Test Center was on this floor and adjacent to the Apparation Platform for incoming and outgoing guests. Severus reached his destination with the efficiency of one practiced in the art of traversing a crowd, or rather parting one. He stepped into the waiting room designed for those greeting guests and stood at a two-way window looking into the apparation area. Any minute now his charges would arrive, he hoped with no real confidence that they wouldn't show. As if to taunt him a feminine voice announced the arrivals from the Magic Ministry of Asia. Severus scowled.

* * *

---Magic Ministry of Asia, Beijing---

When the smoke cleared Naruto found himself inside a glittering palace. His eyes bugged at the opulence and a wide grin spread across his vulpine lips. On all sides there were jeweled walls depicting wondrous creatures Naruto could only dream about. The figure of a silvery ape munching leaves, whose nearly tangible fur was created with an iridescent metal of some sort, blended seamlessly into the design of a strangely plumed, two-legged animal, bordering on serpentine, traveling over an archway to curl its long body around soft-looking silver eggs on the opposite wall. How eggs could appear soft, Naruto hadn't a clue, but apparently they could. The thought was fleeting as his ogling gaze naturally progressed onto the coin-silver and sapphire-blue lake containing another monkey-resembling beast; only this one was scaled like a fish. Naruto shuffled forward for a closer look, only to be drawn up short by Kakashi's restraining hold, so settled on squinting. Exactly what material did they use for the scales of the weird monkey-fish thing?

x

The final wall, which required Naruto to turn completely around to view, illustrated a striking, crimson-scaled beast whose nostrils released twin bouts of flame towards the ceiling. A glance upward took his very breath away; above him was a magnificent scarlet bird comprised of masterfully placed rubies, its long, golden tail feathers etched delicately in gold. The avian wings spread the breadth of the ceiling giving Naruto the impression he was being cocooned in the creature's arms.

"Ah, it is not a simple coincidence that you arrived in the position to view our panorama in its proper order," Naruto jerked from his observance to stare at the short, balding man whose voice echoed in the hollow space, "The room orients itself so; the effect is quite stunning, I must say."

x

Naruto noticed that Sasuke had not been entirely unmoved by the display. The Uchiha survivor was holding onto his stoic façade, but Naruto could clearly discern the raven-haired boy's roaming eyes. Sasuke did not speak to the newcomer, nor did he appear as if he wished to. For all intents and purposes, the man could have arrived nude and Sasuke would not bat an eye. Naruto, on the other hand, was barely containing his curiosity. By the way Kakashi looked upon the room Naruto determined this was not the Jounin's first visit here. The ramifications left numerous thoughts and twice as many questions swirling in his head.

"You are?" Kakashi queried dispassionately.

"Ah, my name is Lee Yonfa. I offer an apology on behalf of our Minister that he could not greet you personally. It is so rare that we have guests of your repute traveling through, let alone to another such place. As you can see, we have reserved you a place of little disturbance." The man bowed deeply. Kakashi gave a shallow nod in return.

"I am afraid we have time constraints; I was only meant to turn them over to the appropriate guide." Kakashi bluntly interjected before Yonfa could speak further on the matter of their unique heritage. Naruto eyed his teacher curiously while Sasuke feigned indifference, a well-developed habit both Naruto and Kakashi had long since grown immune to.

"Of course, of course. These," said Yonfa holding up two folded booklets "are your passports, to be shown to Ministry Security when you arrive." Naruto accepted both booklets after Kakashi deftly intercepted Yonfa's attempts to hand one to Sasuke. Sasuke's glare came to the fore, and Naruto was once again on the receiving end, only this time with company. Kakashi did not look intimidated, if anything Sasuke was proving a source of amusement with his childish displays.

x

Naruto ignored the silent bid for his death in favor of examining his new acquisitions. The passport covers were made of a tough vinyl material, red in color, with a golden crest emblazoned on it. The framing was a bisected circle, two mirrored comma shapes joined together. The right half encompassed the natural red of the passport, with drawings defined in bullion strokes atop it; the left half was golden with shapes delineated by cutout lines to the red beneath. Naruto could pick out a pagoda resting in the center, equally divided between the two halves. A large golden star with four smaller stars to the right and bending around it occupied the upper, left comma. Diagonal to that, on the lower right, was a red disk, the rising sun. The two scarlet beasts from the wall depictions were also present within the emblem. Above the red sun flew the crane-like bird, and below the stars crouched a scaled, snake-creature with claws and a pronounced snout. Toward the top of the crest a branch extended across horizontally; at the very bottom, a bonsai tree grew to the platform of the pagoda. Naruto probed further by parting the folds of the passport.

x

Inside the thin booklet, behind a laminate sleeve, rested his photo…his ninja profile photo. Naruto cringed at his gaudily painted face. He really should have let Sandaime-oyaji convince him to retake the picture. That goes to show him to ignore his elders when they told him something was part of an important document. Now people of another country were going to forever associate him with this snapshot, a scant second in his life, perpetually embodied on paper. A bemoaning sigh escaped his lips. Next, he perused the information printed bedside the picture. Nothing more than a description: nationality, village affiliation, gender, height, weight, hair and eye color, and even an annotation explaining his poor English language skills. Naruto's eyes tracked the characters to the lower half, here the script gained significance.

x

The lower half of the passport contained a white placard, also behind laminate, with a blue, ink imprint of the crest as a watermark. Naruto understood this was meant as a safeguard to prevent forgeries; this was the official business that brought them here to begin with. The characters assembled themselves in a manner conveying Naruto had the permission of the Magic Ministry of Asia to travel abroad. There was some senseless jargon which Naruto could only distinguish had something to do with his being a ninja and not a "traditional" wizard, but he paid scant attention to the complicated Kanji. Suffice to say he needed this scrap of paper wherever he was going, for whatever reasons officials such as these drew up in their spare time.

x

Naruto tucked the two permits into his jacket and reoriented his attention to Lee-san, who was busy informing Kakashi that he'd need to sign some release forms before departing.

"This simply verifies that you consented to their travel, and are aware of the circumstances that could arise after their arrival. We are in no way responsible for the political…" Yonfa fell silent when Kakashi neatly removed the document from his hands, divested him of the pen he was holding without his being aware, and scribbled his name on the dotted line.

"If that settles everything," Kakashi did not wait for confirmation, with a jaunty salute the Jounin disappeared in a puff of sulfurous smoke. Yonfa stood stock still for an interminable five seconds before he nearly ballooned with rage.

"That, that miscreant stole my pen!" Sasuke snorted with derision, Naruto couldn't suppress the smirk of a prank well performed. More than likely the Jounin simply forgot to hand the pen over with the documents Lee-san now clutched tightly in his fists. "Well, the sooner you two depart, the more time I have to fulfill my other obligations. If you would kindly wait here, your escort will arrive shortly." Lee-san bowed stiffly and stalked from the room.

x

Naruto did not venture conversation with Sasuke when they were left alone. The black-haired boy would sooner spit fire at him than utter a civil word even sub-vocally. Naruto took the time, left to his own devices, to obtain a closer view of the splendid compositions on the walls. He'd seen drawings in books and Hokage Mountain was nothing to sneer at, but the sheer volume of precious minerals concentrated in this single room for mere ornamentation startled him like nothing else could. For one who grew up on little else besides instant noodles and the dubious kindness of others, a single handful of such gems would seem a vast treasure. Naruto reached out a hand to touch those intriguing scales on the ape-fish thing. Just what were they crafted from?

"Uh-hum," the deliberate sound of someone clearing their voice served as enough warning for Naruto's hand to jerk back as if slapped, "If you would please join me at the center we can be on our way at once." The woman could be no older than eighteen but Naruto could feel the disparity of five years most acutely as she glared pointedly at him. Sasuke had not moved from the center, therefore he was in good standing with their escort. Bastard.

"Ano sa, Ano sa, how are we going to this place?" Naruto queried as he swung his pack, from where he'd left it next to Sasuke, back onto his shoulder.

"Normally visitors take the floo," correctly interpreting Naruto's vacant expression, she elaborated, "that's travel by fireplace. However, for such a long distance and for those not accustomed to traveling by floo we offer assisted apparations. These are more costly, but the alternative is falling out at the wrong grate. You could end up as far as Italy speaking not a smidgen of Italian without any way to communicate your mishap, doubly so if it happens to be a muggle place you stumble into uninvited." Naruto couldn't follow all the terminology—what are muggles?—but he grasped the gist and was suitably thankful.

"Okay, what do I have to do?"

"Just take hold and try not to pass out." The last sound any of them heard was Sasuke's scornful snort. Then Naruto felt as if he was being compressed through a cylindrical tube. The air became tight in his lungs, spots danced in his vision, and all he could think was baa-chan had reason not to elaborate on their method of travel. If she had, Kakashi would have had to drag him trussed and unconscious to that dazzling room. As it was, Naruto devised nasty verbal abuse to include in his first briefing to Tsunade-baachan. Assuming, of course, he would come out of this experience alive and fully intact.

* * *

---Ministry of Magic, London: Apparation Platform---

When Naruto appeared, released from the brutal clutch of space and time, he was standing beside the escort on a large white platform. He could spot Sasuke standing rigidly and, if his paleness was any indication, he was not faring much better than himself. Their guide, Naruto realized belatedly that she'd never introduced herself, bade them a perfunctory farewell and was gone the next instant. A crack of noise accompanied her departure and left Naruto's ears irritatingly ringing. Suddenly the two Asians were being accosted by a man wearing what appeared to be a dress. Naruto unconsciously moved closer to Sasuke, angled so they were nearly back to back but both facing the strange man. Sasuke's shoulders were blatantly tensed and he mirrored Naruto's movements instinctively.

"Come, come now; you must get off the platform. There are schedules to keep!" The man waved his arms widely, trying to usher them toward the arrival gate which lead into the greeting room. He was speaking in a hesitating language full of jarring words and discordant sounds. Naruto could not hear a pattern to the blunt lexis which seemed to start and stop erratically. His own tongue, with syllables running together smoothly, was like the ebb and flow of a river. Naruto likened this new tongue to the chatter of birds, abrupt and unpleasant. By the grimace on Sasuke's face, Naruto gathered the Uchiha was discomfited as well. Despite the communication barrier, the two boys gathered that the man wished for them to move off the platform and pass through another door. It was on the threshold of the arrival gate that they first encountered Professor Snape.

xXxXx

Severus spotted the new arrivals and appraised them while the Apparation Officer marshaled them off the platform. The blonde one looked nervous while his partner, a pale, sickly-looking boy, appeared as if he wished to be somewhere, anywhere else. The Potions Master gathered himself up and approached the gate; this was going to be tedious.

xXxXx

As Severus drew near the doorway, he looked to the slip of parchment he carried in his hand. Listed on the scrap Albus had given him were the names of the transfer students, their time of arrival, and their method of travel. The last two were now redundant, but the first still held significance. When he came to within polite speaking distance he settled on a simple verification as his greeting.

"You-zuh-makey," Snape glared at the odd names he painfully sounded out, "You-shihay?" Glancing up the professor found both boys' attention centered on him. The blonde was…yes, he was smirking; the deep lines in his face became more pronounced as his skin pulled taunt over his cheekbones. The other however was scowling darkly at him.

"Uchiha." The boy corrected in a surprisingly deep voice for one so young.

"Uchiha," Snape repeated, looked to the parchment again, glanced at the dark one before looking to the blonde a second time, "Uzuh-makey?" he tried with the alterations of the previous name. The blonde gave a bark of laughter before huffing up his chest and pronouncing with clear pride.

"Ore wa Uzumaki Naruto dattebayo!" Snape made another mental note.

"Very well. I am Professor Snape." Severus made a glaring gesture, indicating himself as he spoke his name with emphasis. He hoped these children weren't complete morons, hoped they'd understand if he utilized signals in conjunction with words.

"Douzo yoroshiku Pu-ro-fe-so-ru Su-ne-pu." Uchiha bowed shortly, his unbalance bringing out the manners ingrained too long ago they'd become a reflex in times of uncertainty.

"Yo Sunepu-sensei!" Uzumaki chimed enthusiastically, hands folded behind his head casually.

x

Severus found himself automatically bowing to Uchiha in return, social conventions dictating he adopt their customs instead of confusing them with his own; but he scowled at the blonde. Even with the language barrier he could perceive the lack of respect in the tone of Uzumaki's greeting. Uzumaki seemed to shrug off his cold regard; Severus' heckles raised at the unashamed impudence. On the other hand, Uchiha was respectfully quite and appeared restless; he was unmistakably at a loss of how to communicate. Uzumaki simply appeared both impulsive and impatient, two traits Severus loathed in all teenagers.

"Doko e ikou ka?" Uzumaki inquired eagerly, looking to Severus who simply glowered uncomprehendingly.

"Purofesoru Sunepu wa nihongo o hanashimasen yo, dobe." Sasuke snarled at the other boy. Severus recognized a reprimand for what it was given the sheepish then offended expression on the blonde boy's face. The words themselves sounded like garbled nonsense to Severus' ears; how could anyone sort out words in that endless disgorging string? Severus inwardly cursed Albus' manipulation and tacked on a few less than polite appellations for Filius, those bloody translation charms would come in useful just about now.

"Purofesoru Sunepu?" Uchiha's calm inquiry drew Severus' vacant glare away from the opposite wall to bear on the coal-eyed boy. Uchiha did not flinch away, merely raised a prompting brow and motioned with one arm to the door leading back through the ministry. Severus followed the gesture, gave a brief nod, and motioned the boys to follow him. It appeared communication was not completely impossible, Severus could tolerate this.

xXxXx

Naruto shot piercing glares at the back of Sasuke's head as the other boy strode beside their teacher rather than behind. As if Sasuke would ever condescend himself to tag along behind anyone voluntarily, Naruto gave a mental snort. He had had to beat Sasuke into submission and then drag him back to Konoha, though they were both aware Sasuke was the one in the wrong. Naruto wondered vaguely how Tsunade-baachan was taking the news; no doubt Shikamaru had delivered his account of the mission by now. Not that there was much the Chuunin could inform her of concerning Naruto's fight with Sasuke. The Chuunin could only relate Naruto's state of arrival in the temporary camp he'd set up with the sand siblings. And, while Naruto was dead tired, nearly collapsing at the first sight of his teammates all present and accounted for, he bore none of the grievous wounds Sasuke inflicted. Kyuubi had healed him completely but for a few negligent scrapes. Naruto had been sure to cover up the massive holes in his jacket and shirt by artfully shredding both. Tsunade was bound to question him in her missives but Naruto did not plan on giving her the undiluted truth. There was still hope for saving Sasuke.

x

By the time they reached the strange contraption that would take them down to the first floor, Naruto was eyeing Sasuke tenderly with a hard glint of determination shining through. His thoughts no longer troubled, Naruto had the opportunity to observe all the fantastically wacky foreigners and outlandish objects within sight. Crammed in the small space, with them, were five other people, all of whom Naruto found fascinating. The man right next to him was caught up in trying to snatch one of those fluttering papers over head. The flimsy bird-object kept diving down, impacting against the man's head or face, and then soaring back up. If the vehemence with which the man muttered was any indication, he was quite aggravated. Naruto caught Sunepu-sensei sneering at the man contemptuously. The paper plunged once again; with one little bounce and an adroit hand stroke Naruto seized it millimeters from the man's face. The man jerked back startled, the other strangers eyed him with interest, one woman smiled in amusement, and Sunepu-sensei frowned deeply. Sasuke, of course, was nonplussed.

"Fool." Sasuke grunted.

"Bastard!" Naruto shot back, fist crumpling the paper in hand. Belatedly he noticed the note and fairly shoved it at the bedraggled man who fumbled it, giving it the chance to wing crookedly back to the flock above. Naruto quickly turned back to continue the exchange with Sasuke, only to find the Uchiha smirking at him. Naruto huffed and turned away pointedly.

x

Soon the lift reached the ground floor and Sunapu-sensei introduced them to the floo.

* * *

NOTE: For those interested in seeing the Crest of the Magic Ministry of Asia I created, visit my profile! Also, those familiar with Naruto should be able to discern most of the Japanese terms present in the story (you could probably skip to the general terms for a translation of what Severus couldn't understand). However, for those of you new to Naruto (or those watching dubs) I will provide translations below.

Translations:

Suffixes:  
-chan - Japanese suffix with a diminutive meaning, a term of affection (usually used for children and younger females)  
-kun - Japanese suffix used with younger familiar persons in place of –san, especially adults addressing young boys (often used by girls addressing boys of the same age)  
-san - Japanese suffix used for polite address with those older or less familiar (much like the English Mr. Mrs. Ms.)  
-hime - Japanese suffix meaning "princess"  
-sama - Japanese suffix, the most formal form of address (used for those greatly admired, seniors of status, royalty, and deities)

Naruto terms:

Konohagakure (no Sato) – (Hidden) Village of the Leaf  
Shinobi - ninja  
Genin - low ninja  
Chuunin – medium ninja  
Jounin – upper ninja  
Anbu (short form of Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushi Butai) – Assassination Tactics Special Squad  
Hokage – literally means Fire Shadow but is essentially the leader of the hidden village (Godaime and Sandaime indicate specific leaders "Go" meaning fifth and "San" meaning third)  
Tsunade no baachan (and any variant thereof) - old lady Tsunade (if an 'o' is added, it serves as an honorific making it a bit more polite, though using –chan makes it less so)  
Gejimayu - thick eyebrows (what Naruto calls Lee)  
Kyuubi - nine tails (reference to the demon fox sealed inside Naruto)  
Kunai - dagger-like, throwing weapon  
Hitai-ate - forehead protector  
Dobe - an insult Sasuke uses on Naruto much like blockhead, dead last, or idiot (I don't have a direct translation, does anyone know the literal meaning?)

General Japanese vocabulary:

Ano sa, ano sa - begging for attention, much like saying "listen up", or "look here"  
Ano, eh? or naa - these are filler words much like um, huh, or ah  
Yosh - alright  
Oyaji - old man (quite disrespectful)  
Sensei - teacher, master  
Ore wa Uzumaki Naruto dattebayo! - I'm Naruto Uzumaki. (Note that "ore" meaning "I" is only used by males)  
Douzo yoroshiku - Pleased to meet you.  
Doko e ikou ka? - Where are we going?  
Purofesoru Sunepu wa nihongo o hanashimasen yo. - Professor Snape doesn't speak Japanese! (note that "yo" is an emphatic sentence particle, drawing emphasis to the statement. It corresponds to English "you know," "I tell you," or "certainly," but sometimes there is no direct equivalent and the meaning can only be implied by intonation or stress.)


	3. Communication, It's Overrated

IMPORTANT LANGUAGE NOTE:

You'll notice that I write in third person with aspects of first person; i.e. when Severus is the central character, he will hear Naruto and Sasuke speaking Japanese which is unintelligible to him (hence the actual use of Japanese). Contrarily, when Naruto and Sasuke are the central characters they are both speaking and understanding Japanese so their conversations are written in English. I tried to incorporate the translations within the storyline as often as possible; I hope it hasn't become too bothersome to readers. Once the translation charms (Flitwick's earrings) are in place the actual Japanese will be less prominent.

I believe incorporating the Japanese adds another facet or dimension to the storyline, not to mention adds flavor. I want to establish, here and now, that I am not trying to use what is commonly referred to as "fan girl Japanese" but am truly attempting to provide realism. I am studying Japanese, and plan to in college; this type of story helps me improve it a bit. Also, I do tend to use the more formal Japanese as it is what I learned first and use with more confidence. I just started learning the informal version so I do not know it well enough. If anyone is an authority on Japanese (reviewer Pez?) please point out my mistakes (or give me the less formal versions) so that I may correct them. Thank you.

* * *

Chapter III  
Communication…It's Overrated

---The Leaky Cauldron, London---

Tom was not very busy mopping up the bar when the fire in his grate flared to life. He glanced up interestedly, along with the handful of patrons occupying the odd table or two, to watch a blonde-haired boy wearing an eye-watering, nearly florescent-orange outfit tumble from the hearth. This first visitor was quickly followed by another, a pale boy with cut-back black hair oddly reminiscent of a rooster. Lastly, Tom's eyes caught sight of the dour looking Potion's Master. The man appeared anything but pleased as he brushed soot from his tailored robes. The prominent curl of his lip was testament to his ire. Tom's eyes flickered to the boys; they did not appear to be first years, if indeed they were students. His mind churning theories of all sorts, Tom swiped the bar one last time before acknowledging his guests.

"Good morning." Tom supplied after a quick glance out the front window to confirm the hour was still before noon.

"Ohayou!" the blond garbled in return. Tom blinked perplexedly at the human eyesore.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't bother yourself. They don't speak English." Severus interrupted abruptly before the confusion could escalate. The professor made sure to snag the back of the blonde's jacket to prevent him from touching the bewitched ale jug currently pouring a drink.

x

Tom watched Severus' odd motions but refrained from asking any questions knowing the unsociable man wouldn't appreciate what he would perceive as prying.

"What can I do you for then?" Tom didn't take his eyes off the two boys. The blonde kept inching away from Snape toward some object or another only to be pulled back when the professor took notice. Each time this happened the blonde would chatter inanely at his warder what Tom supposed were questions concerning whatever had caught his interest to begin with. Conversely, the other boy stood coolly silent with his hands sunk within his shorts pockets.

"They'll need a room until the start of term, compliments of Hogwarts. Here is Albus' authorization," Severus handed the barkeep a signed form. "For now, I suggest a plate of food for each of them."

"I'll scrounge up some eggs and hash¹." Tom assured as he came from behind the bar to show them to their room.

x

Severus motioned the boys to follow Tom, and trailed behind, being sure to keep Uzumaki's hands from anything within reach. It was a wonder they'd emerged from the floo at the right grate. Severus was only grateful he had the foresight not to allow them to travel through alone. Three people in one chute were quite a fit; but the alternative was Uzumaki jumping out at each and every grate that caught his attention, without any knowledge of how to get back on. Once they'd reached the main lobby of the Ministry and passed through security, where Uzumaki displayed his and Uchiha's passports, Severus had been hard pressed to keep the boy at his side. He promised retribution on the old man for having him baby-sit the blonde.

"Here we are room number two-eleven." Tom broke Severus from his thoughts as he proffered the keys. Severus accepted them with a perfunctory nod. "Well, settle in and then come down for breakfast." Tom bade and retreated. Severus let the two boys into the room and stood back to observe them in the doorway.

xXxXx

Naruto tossed his pack onto the floor at the foot of his chosen bed and flopped backward. As much fun as he'd been having driving Sunepu-sensei up the wall, almost immediately he felt his eyes threatening to close. Those initial days after Sasuke's retrieval, resting in Shikamaru's temporary camp, weren't enough to restore his chakra fully. Combine that with a full day of discovery and endorphin enhanced eagerness after twenty-eight hours of consciousness, thirteen of which he'd spent carrying Sasuke on his back, and Naruto was just about ready to fall over. Glancing sideways, he could see Sasuke methodically removing his belongings and setting them out on his bed, to be inventoried and repacked. Naruto rolled over and drew a pillow to his chest; he fairly curled around the fluffy, clean cushion.

"You shouldn't sleep." Sasuke called lowly, startling Naruto into wakefulness.

"This is our room. This is my bed. Why not?" Naruto moaned, nearly incomprehensible because he'd answered with his head buried in linen. Instead of receiving the scornful response he anticipated, Naruto unexpectedly found himself dumped unceremoniously to the floor. A wide-eyed stare alighted on Sasuke smirking callously above, the overturned mattress still in hand.

"Bastard!" Naruto shouted angrily.

"You deserve it." Sasuke snarled back, and Naruto flinched under the unbridled hostility directed toward him. Apparently Sasuke hadn't forgiven him at all, and just then he'd thought they were getting along fairly well.

xXxXx

Severus was taken aback when the first thing Uzumaki did was fall onto his bed and curl up to sleep. He'd expected a nosy exploration of the room followed by more superfluous babble. Instead, what he observed was a subdued teenager resembling a small child at naptime. Severus' urge to strangle the blonde became all the more difficult to control.

"Nenai hou ga iin da yo na." Uchiha called to the blonde.

"Koko wa ore-tachi no heya ja nee darou? Sou nattara, ore no bedo nan dattebayo, sore. Nande kuren no?" Severus could distinguish through the plaintive tone that Uzumaki did not appreciate whatever Uchiha suggested. He was even less keen on the subsequent dumping to the floor.

"Teme!" Naruto cried, shaking his fist at the smirking boy. Severus didn't need nor desire a literal translation; the context in which it was delivered was enough to deduce the meaning. However, Uchiha's subsequent snarl had Severus' well-honed instincts sensing a genuine threat. The unadulterated homicidal glint to the dark boy's eyes couldn't possibly be contrived; the boy really wanted to kill the blonde. Severus felt the stirrings of resentment; Albus was hiding something.

x

Severus turned his focus back on the boys. Uzumaki was putting his bed to rights and Uchiha was packing the items he'd just finished unpacking. Severus eyed the odd behavior but dismissed it as a cultural divergence.

"Purofesoru Sunepu?" Uchiha called out brusquely. Severus' gaze broke from the bedspread upon which the hands had stilled, to meet the challenging shale-colored eyes. When the boy didn't comment, simply stared expectantly, Severus realized his lingering in the doorway was a clear indication to both boys that separation was not at hand. Severus mustered the patience to attempt communication.

"Mr. Uchiha, Mr. Uzumaki," the blonde perked up, abandoning the disheveled covers he was struggling to tuck around the bed, "you will eat," Severus mimed bringing something to his mouth, "and you will sleep," again Severus used gestures, holding his hands together and laying his head upon them with his eyes closed, to represent his words, "Here." Severus finished by sweeping his arms to encompass the room and the general vicinity of the inn. "Understand?" Severus only hoped his expression conveyed his search for comprehension. Merlin knew he felt like a complete imbecile tacking such motions onto his words.

"Hai, hai. Koko ni gohan o tabetari, netari shinakya-tte wakattebayo!" Naruto chirped to which his companion cuffed him on the back of the head.

"Nanimo wakaran da, koitsu."

"Itai, wakatta, wakatta!" Uzumaki cried, rubbing at his head, and wincing. The dark-haired boy made a point to catch Severus' eye and nodded firmly. The potions Professor felt an inkling of relief, but dismissed it as a very brief and wholly atypical flight of fancy brought on by a barmy old man and insufferable, admittedly disturbed, teenagers. With a pronounced scowl, he merely waved for them to proceed ahead of him.

xXxXx

When Sunepu-sensei left, Naruto was under the impression he could not absent himself fast enough. Abandoned at the bar with a plate of dubious edibles in front of him, Naruto felt unexpectedly bereft. Sunepu-sensei was their guide in this unfamiliar place, and while Naruto would not go so far as to label him kind, his departure left a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach. Naruto was only grateful he was not alone.

"Ne, Sasuke, what is this?" Naruto queried with a nudge at Sasuke's elbow. The impassive boy had the tongs of the silver utensil between his lips, an indication he had tried the dish or was merely pretending as a cover for the others present. Naruto gripped the strange implement in a fisted hand; it felt awkward and weighed more then the chopsticks he was used to, but its use was clear.

"Meat. Vegetables. Sauce." Sasuke grunted. The expression that twisted Sasuke's face next was anything but pleasant. When the Uchiha resorted to the only recognizable food on the plate, the eggs, Naruto wondered if he should chance it at all. A few seconds of passing his gaze from his own plate to Sasuke's expression brought little decision.

"Ne, Sasuke, is it bad?"

"Shut up and eat, idiot." Sasuke ordered curtly, forking the last of his eggs into his mouth before setting down the implement with precise care. Naruto bristled but did not retaliate to the insult; the room full of strangers was oppressive and made him nervous. However, he did decide that anything Sasuke could do, he could do also.

x

Naruto scooped up some…whatever it was and stuffed it hurriedly into his mouth, prepared to gulp down his water if it proved unpalatable. To his immense surprise it was rich and heavy, much like curry. Even Naruto had trouble appreciating the taste after a stressful mission and too much action. His stomach roiled in mild protest, threatening to expunge the nutrient laden rations. The feeling brought to mind a time when Naruto ate seven helpings of beef ramen right after vigorous training with Ero-sen'nin, Iruka-sensei had to hold his head while he dynamically lost the contents of his stomach. After that occurrence, Naruto was lectured extensively on how his body would react to certain foods given his state of exhaustion. Naruto ignored the faux-curry in favor of the eggs, something he did not eat often but was light enough not to upset his fluctuating appetite. Soon enough they were both finished, and having nothing better to do, Naruto and Sasuke headed to their room for some sound sleep.

* * *

---The Leaky Cauldron: Mid-Afternoon---

Sixth year Cho Chang walked into the Leaky Cauldron accompanied by her best friend Marietta Edgecombe. They'd spent the day traversing the avenues of Diagon Alley and patronizing the various shops. As excursions go, they'd had an exquisite time which was spoiled only by the necessity of buying school related items. Yes, summer was surely coming to an end and school would start soon but, until then, they would enjoy their last bit of free time.

x

As it was, the two girls were taking a late lunch break at the cheapest establishment available. Marietta slipped unflattering comments about the bar into their conversation as they made their way to a table; and Cho made the appropriate responses. However, before they could reach the booth Cho drew up short as a blonde and orange monstrosity cut across her path, halted, flipped around, and grabbed onto her arm with such fervor she nearly screamed.

"Ajia no shounen ni atta ka? Kami no ke ya me ga kuroi shi. Sore ni, ao to shiro no sugume no fukusou o shite iru yatsu nan dattebayo." It gabbled earnestly, what turned out to be a blonde haired boy dressed in a garish orange jumper.

"What a fashion victim. Come on Cho, it might be catching." Marietta sneered at the incomprehensible boy while she attempted to nudge her friend along. Whether Cho desired to leave or not she was prevented by the strong grip the boy had on her arm.

"Nihongo wakaru?" the boy gibbered, his blue eyes wide and hopeful. Cho shook her head, baffled.

"Wakarimasen ka?"

"I'm sorry, I don't understand." Cho protested in exasperation as she tried to pry his fingers from her arm. "Let go!" she ordered when she realized the boy was a lot stronger than he appeared.

"Kuso! Kuso! Kuso!" The blonde snarled, clearly frustrated. Cho shared an apprehensive look with Marietta who was edging closer to the bar in order to signal for help if the boy became violent.

"Sasuke!" the boy suddenly shouted making both girls flinch with surprise. All around the Leaky Cauldron heads swiveled to regard the outlandish boy causing the ruckus. "Ittai doko da! Teme…"

"Do you want me to get the barkeep?" Marietta whispered urgently to Cho, all the while staring fixedly at the disturbed boy.

"No, wait. I think he's speaking in Japanese," Cho's expression turned thoughtful; "I've got an idea. Give me a quill and a bit of parchment from my bag." Cho murmured intently. Marietta looked uncertain, but did as requested, passing over the newly bought implements after she'd unwrapped them from their packaging.

x

Using the nearest flat surface, which happened to be a table cluttered with sullied dishes, Cho scribbled on a clean sheet of parchment. Once finished, she hastily thrust the paper toward the stranger before he could scream a third time. The boy's eyes stared unerringly at her for a few brief seconds before curiously glancing at the paper. Then he eyed it intently; his hand reluctantly released her wrist so that he could accept the scrap held out to him. As the boy studied the parchment his brows drew together in deep concentration.

"Fude o karitemo ii?" The boy queried at length only to receive identical looks of bewilderment. Cho watched as he cursed again—at least she assumed the sharp sounds were swear words—and gestured to the plume in her hand.

"I think he wants the quill." Marietta hissed to her still befuddled friend. Cho quickly passed it over. "What did you write?" Marietta questioned nearly under her breath, not realizing fully that the boy could not understand her even if he could hear what she said.

"I asked him if he needs help." Cho explained.

"But…if he can't understand English, how can he read?"

"I didn't write in English. I used Kanji." Cho explained shortly. At that moment the boy excitedly shoved the paper back toward her, impatient for a reply he could finally understand. Cho looked at the scrap, her brow furrowed momentarily then cleared with understanding.

"Well, what did he write?" Marietta sought eagerly to look at the paper, only to be stumped by the foreign characters once she saw it.

"It says he's looking for a boy with black hair and eyes. Wearing a blue shirt and white…" Blushing, Cho eyed the characters a second time, unsure of the translation.

"What?" Marietta queried.

"Well, it says he's wearing white knickers." Even as she related the message sotto voce, Cho could see the blonde searching the pub.

"Knickers? As in…without any trousers?" Marietta demanded; her eyes were incredulously wide.

"That's what…well I suppose he may have chosen the wrong character." Cho mused audibly.

"Mita no?" The boy was once again focused on the pair. When they made no motion of affirmation or denial he flicked the paper in Cho's hand with irritation ablaze in his eyes.

"Oh!" Cho quickly shook her head. The blonde's shoulders slumped and he frowned. Cho scrawled on the paper a second time and was nearly forced to grab hold of the boy before he wandered off in his search for the other. A paper shoved in his faced garnered the girls a perplexed stare, until he read it.

"Uzumaki Naruto dattebayo!"

"Chang Cho," Cho set her hand against her breast, "Edgecombe Marietta," Cho indicated the girl beside her.

"What?"

"Introductions." Cho explained shortly to her friend. "His name is Naruto." The blonde smiled widely and waved at Marietta.

"Oh. So what…" Marietta began awkwardly before she was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice speaking a newly recognizable language.

"Oi, Dobe." Both girls were greeted with a vision of dark sloe eyes, sharply gelled hair, and a straining intensity scarcely contained in lean muscles and artfully draped clothing. They blushed, the color of ripe tomatoes.

* * *

---The Leaky Cauldron: Noon---

Contrary to popular opinion, Sasuke was not a morning person. He usually cracked his eyes open with the common lethargy of the greater percent of humanity; and stumbled from bed with the same complaints on his lips. Only after he'd partaken of his morning carbohydrates, often in the form of bonito flake filled rice balls, was his brain effectively awake—effectively meaning he was capable of higher communication, that which is beyond grunts and monosyllabic responses. Not that Sasuke was a chatterbox by anyone's standards. For that reason, when he woke abruptly with his senses fully alert his brain stumbled to process, why?

x

The room was dimly lit. The subdued glow coming through the one curtained window was evidence of the daylight hour. Sasuke found it disconcerting to wake with the sun already so high in the sky. His internal clock was telling him the hour was still late, no earlier than seven in the evening, and yet the rays were defying gravitational law. Sasuke turned over and blearily regarded the unfamiliar room. There wasn't much to it besides another bed, a joint dresser, and a few oddly placed objects Sasuke neither recognized nor knew the uses of.

x

Directly across from him he could discern a body sprawled on its back sideways across the bed. The tufts of blonde hair sticking out from the edge of the blankets identified the person as Naruto. And, now that Sasuke's attention was focused on the boy, he could also perceive the soft exhalations upon every downward movement of Naruto's chest. The process slowed. Sasuke blinked to disengage his sharingan. With a huff he drew himself into an upright position before staggering from the bed.

"Che." Sasuke grabbed hold of the bed post until his vision steadied and his balance restored itself. His chakra reserves were still dangerously depleted and that slip had cost him. More than it was worth. There was no sense in attacking the idiot. He was in a foreign country among a foreign people speaking a foreign tongue under the dubious protection of someone named Dumbledore who he'd never met. Any action taken on his part would be conveyed to this man and then relayed to Godaime. So, even if he could rid himself of Naruto, he had no way of finding where he was in relation to where he'd been much less how to get back. All this without taking into consideration Anbu, hunter-nin, and whatever passed for such things in this place coming after him the moment he slipped his guard.

"Che." Sasuke repeated and scowled darkly at the unconscious form of his rival. The blonde slept undisturbed, even as Sasuke dressed and crossed the room to the door where he quietly let himself out.

* * *

---Leaky Cauldron: Mid-Afternoon---

"Bastard Sasuke, where have you been?" Naruto shouted as he whisked around, coming face to face with the one he'd been searching for. The admiring stares of Cho and Marietta did nothing to calm his ire as they painfully reminded him of the infatuated kunoichi of Konoha. Sasuke simply stood, posture conveying boredom, with his hands sunk into his front pockets. He stared balefully back at the blonde without answering the question posed to him. Naruto's temper was quickly escalating to the point of attacking the arrogant Uchiha when he was cutoff by the similarly Asian girl.

"You must be Sasuke," Sasuke's unwavering stare unnerved the older teen more than she cared to admit, but she gamely continued with her spiel, "My name is Chang Cho, pleased to meet you." Cho gave an abbreviated bow.

"Marietta Edge, I mean Edgecombe Marietta?" Marietta looked to Cho for approval and received an encouraging smile. Sasuke blatantly ignored the hand offered by the second girl until she embarrassedly withdrew it.

"Well, have either of you seen anything of Diagon Alley?" Cho scratched characters to parchment even as she said the words though they were unintelligible. As she attempted to position the fragment in Naruto's line of sight her wrist was seized by a pale hand with a crushing grip. "Please let go!" Cho yelped, cringing with pain.

"Hey, let go of her!" Naruto grabbed hold of Sasuke's wrist, the one attached to the hand inflicting pain on the girl interpreter. When Sasuke failed to release the smaller, more fragile wrist, "She knows our writing." Naruto hissed. Sasuke abandoned the limb immediately in favor of snatching the flimsy communiqué. Emotionless eyes passed over the characters then flicked to Naruto with ill concealed irritation.

"I never knew you were so informed about my under garments," Naruto's face twisted in disgust, "Does the Hokage really find such knowledge valuable?" Sasuke's expression remained stonily displeased, but a glimmer of uneasiness passed through his eyes.

"What! No! I'm not a pervert! Where the hell do you get off talking about your underwear anyway?" Naruto spluttered angrily.

"This says here that I'm wearing white boxers." Sasuke held the paper an inch from Naruto's eyes, until it was nearly touching the blonde's nose, pointing out the erroneous kanji. Naruto squinted cross-eyed at his barely legible scribble and scowled.

"I wrote shorts."

"You used the wrong kanji, moron." Sasuke deadpanned.

"Ehem," both boys glowered at the Chinese girl, "Diagon Alley?" Ignoring their smoldering eyes, she managed to pry the crumpled parchment from Naruto's clenched fist and, after smoothing it out, drew the two boys' attention to the latest question.

"Daiaagon Aarii?" Naruto mimicked as Sasuke chose to say nothing while staring fixedly, and uncomprehendingly, at the unfamiliar Romanized label.

* * *

1) Hash- diced cooked meat and potatoes or other vegetables browned together or reheated in gravy.

Translations:

Ohayou- good morning  
Hai, hai. Koko ni gohan o tabetari, netari shinakya-tte wakattebayo!-Yes, we'll eat breakfast, we'll sleep here.  
Nanimo wakaran da, koitsu.- He doesn't understand!  
Itai, wakatta, wakatta- Ow, I know, I know.  
Ero-sennin- ero means eroticism while sennin means hermit, together they mean perverted-hermit. (For those of you who are fellow Naruto Fanfic writers don't confuse sennin with sannin-referencing the three legendary ninja known collectively as san meaning three and nin meaning ninja!)  
Ajia no shounen ni atta ka? Kami no ke ya me ga kuroi shi. Sore ni, ao to shiro no sugume no fukusou o shite iru yatsu nan dattebayo.-Did you see an Asian boy? His hair and eyes are black. Moreover, he's dressed in blue and white.  
Nihongo wakaru?- Do you understand Japanese?  
Wakarimasen ka?-Do you not understand?  
Kuso- Shit  
Ittai doko da! Teme…- Just where the hell are you Bastard! (Note: "Teme" is not defined as "bastard" in the Japanese dictionary—that would be "yarou"—but it is the established translation in the fansubs. It is my understanding that "teme" is really just a very rude way of saying "you" with negative connotations concerning the character of the one being referenced. For the purposes of this fic, I'll stick with "bastard" as the translation.)  
Fude o karitemo ii? – May I borrow the brush?  
Mita no?- Have you seen him?  
Che- Damn

KUDOS! To Son of Darkness for all the help informalizing (my own word –smirk-) all the Naruto/Sasuke interactions in Japanese. And thanks for correcting my atrocious grammar! God, I hadn't realized how much has slipped in the number of months I've been away from class!

AN: Honestly, I've had this chapter on my notebook for some time (I was tweaking). It has too much dialogue and not enough of anything else for my tastes (what an ironic twist for the title eh?), but it'll suffice I guess. I wanted to write another ten pages but realized after re-reading tonight that it was a good place to leave off. Not to mention you've waited long enough for an update! So, I guess we'll explore the wonders of Diagon Alley in the next installment eh? .

AN2: You know, for a fic that's got over 2,000 hits, this sure hasn't garnered many reviews! Please write some constructive criticism (and don't just nag about updates!). It would help a great deal if some of you gave me some idea on what you'd like to see happen. So far I've got a loose (read: non-existent) outline for this story. This thing kind of sprung full-form in the first two chapters, giving me a premise, but not an ultimate goal. I do have plans for the sorting and some interactions but nothing is iron-clad as far as the plot goes. Any ideas generated by the readers can help spur my own creative juices, just ask my DBZ fic fans!

Review Replies:

Pez- Thanks for the correction on the title. If you wouldn't mind looking over my Japanese in this (and possibly successive chapters) I would appreciate it. I've had two semesters of Japanese so far (I plan to continue in college) but I still muddle through a great deal, especially with grammar and tense.

Peter Kim- Teachers may crop up later, but I'm not sure which ones yet. We've got a ways with the two boys before we involve the other zany characters of Naruto!

Falcon-Rider- Thanx! I've gotten mixed reviews on the character's interactions. Some say very in character, others say what the…! I realize they're a bit too polite, but I frankly can't help it! As for the sorting…that'll come later. And lastly, Lost Wing is driving me nuts! I've got tidbits for the final chapters but this current one is really frustrating! I keep coming to it and just draw a complete BLANK! Gah! I have a thorough outline but it is testing my patience in the script. I'll keep at it and probably end up forcing it one of these days.

Thanx goes to: Hao'sAnjul, CuriousDreamWeaver, Tigerrelly, ;;, Fic Slayr, kei-kanna-chan, Oren, kirallie, Painted Turtle Shell, InsaneBlackHeart, and just wandering!


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